1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to skating devices, such as in-line skates, traditional roller skates, and ice skates. It is specifically related to boots that are adapted to such skates by an adjustment of their length and volume so as to accommodate a wide variety of sizes and foot morphologies.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
In-line skating is a sport which has become extremely successful and popular with a growing number of people. A large number of children also like to practice this sport. However, manufacturers generally offer a limited range of children""s boots, citing development, manufacturing and budgeting costs as reasons therefor. As a result, it becomes difficult to find a boot which conforms correctly both to the size and the morphology of the child""s foot, and at the same time, is comfortable, envelopes the foot and provides a good transmission of supports. In addition, in view of the fact that a child""s foot grows both in size and volume, the skates soon become obsolete, usually after only a few months of wear.
Existing solutions consist of adjusting the shell size of the skating boot. U.S. Pat. No. 5,475,936 discloses, for instance, an in-line skate having a shell and a quarter portion assembled on the shell via sliding guide means. Such an assembly provides just a partial solution to the problem because only the reinforcing shell is adjustable in size. Such a shell is provided to receive an inner liner whose configuration has not been envisioned in U.S. Pat. No. 5,475,936.
Consequently, the problem of comfort and enveloping the foot has not been satisfactorily dealt with in the adjustable length/volume skate as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,475,936. In addition, the skate disclosed in this patent has the disadvantage of being hot, heavy and poorly ventilated, due to its structure which consists of an integrated rigid shell that has been derived from the field of downhill ski boots.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,362 discloses an athletic boot whose size can be adjusted. The boot has a molded construction, with a shell base on which a heel portion is adjusted at the rear, and a flexible tongue is adjusted towards the front. A collar is journalled about the heel portion. The adjustment mechanism is completed with straps made of a thermoplastic material that surround the instep in order to adjust its volume. Such a boot is essentially constituted of a rigid shell and has the same disadvantages as those cited in U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,362 in which an inner liner is inserted. The proposed liner is equipped with slits arranged in appropriate areas, such as at the heel and in a frontal longitudinal position, so as to be able to accept variations in the size and volume of the shell. However, this adjustment is achieved at the expense of an adequate enveloping of the foot, and at the expense of comfort.
European Patent Application No. 878 141 A1 filed by the Applicant is related to a multi-sized boot which has a first part forming a cradle for heel retention that is extended by a sole, and a second part forming a more flexible vamp and having a plantar support. The first and second parts are adjusted along a relative, pre-determined longitudinal position and are connected via fixed connecting means. This type of solution is interesting but does not resolve the problem of adjusting the length of a child""s skating boot, which includes the padding portion surrounding the foot.
U.S. Patent No. 5,842,293 is also related to a skate whose size can be adjusted. The skate has a boot made of two rigid plastic parts; a vamp portion equipped with lateral slots and a collar portion equipped with lateral buttons adapted to cooperate with the lateral slots. The parts are also equipped with serrated straps whose function is to adjust the width of each part individually, as well as to position the two parts relative to one another. Such a construction is fairly rudimentary and does not enable a very precise adjustment in volume. In addition, there is no mention of how the liner is adapted to the modification in volume of the two relatively rigid parts of the boot. It does not appear that this type of construction would guarantee comfort.
It is an object of the this invention to solve the aforementioned problems. In particular, the invention proposes a boot that is adaptable to a variety of sizes and foot morphologies, while ensuring uniform enveloping and the same degree of comfort, regardless of how long an adjustment was made.
In order to achieve this as well as other objects, the inventive process envisioned the design of a flexible upper, including padding, constituted of two especially configured, detachably assembled parts, so as to promote an adjustment relative to the enveloping of the foot without risking any discomfort, creases, uncovered areas, etc.
More specifically, the invention is related to a skating boot, that can be adapted on a chassis, the chassis having:
a flexible upper whose shape is adapted to envelope the foot and the lower leg;
a reinforcing portion having at least one rigid sole connected to the chassis and a heel reinforcement, wherein:
the flexible upper has a front foot covering portion with a rear scallop freeing at least the heel zone; and
a rear cuff, independent of the covering portion, includes a heel enveloping portion and a rising portion for enveloping the lower part of the leg;
the front foot covering portion and the rear cuff being detachably assembled to form a flexible upper whose length can be adjusted.
In particular, the cuff is used like a frame of reference for positioning the leg, while the covering portion is displaced during adjustment with respect to such frame of reference.
According to another characteristic, the cuff has lateral cut out edges that free the area of the malleoli. Indeed, the area of the malleoli has been identified as being a sensitive zone that is not very tolerant of overthicknesses. Thus, the object of the invention is to cover the area of the malleoli with the covering portion within a predetermined range of adjustment that corresponds to the useful range of adjustment, so as to provide a uniform level of comfort.
According to a complementary characteristic, the front foot covering portion and the rear cuff are assembled by overlapping two sole thicknesses whose rigidity is greater than the rigidity of the remainder of the upper; the overlapping length can be modified depending on the desired adjustment of the upper. Such an assembly is simple and reliable. Because of its rigidity, the overlapping ensures a good retention and good support for the plantar support in the given zone.
According to another characteristic, the front foot covering portion and the rear cuff are, in addition, assembled by at least the partial overlapping of the lateral parts of each of the portions, which together delineate the volume of the flexible upper. Thus, the width of the foot can be adjusted by overlapping the lateral parts of the upper. This overlapping also ensures a good retention of the front foot portion and the cuff together. It also ensures a continuous enveloping of the foot without any non-covered zones that could cause discomfort in a localized manner.
According to an advantageous embodiment characteristic, the front foot covering portion has a sole portion and a vamp portion connected to the sole portion; the sole portion has a rigid tongue extending the sole portion towards the rear, beyond the vamp portion; the tongue having the ability to get housed during overlapping, at least partially, in the sole portion of the rear cuff. Such an assembly allows for a simplified adjustment of length that can be implemented without any great difficulty.
According to another interesting characteristic, the reinforcing portion has a first sub-assembly forming a rigid cradle that includes the heel reinforcement, which is affixed to the rigid sole; and a relatively more flexible, second sub-assembly, constituting a front foot covering vamp and having a plantar support; this plantar support being nested in the cradle and being connected thereto in a pre-determined longitudinal position that can be adjusted via adjustment and detachable connecting means arranged between the first and the second sub-assembly; the flexible upper being inserted inside the volume defined by the first and second sub-assemblies.
As a result, this simultaneously provides an adaptation of the reinforcing portion, as well as an adaptation of the enveloping portion, or flexible padded upper. This dual adaptation is unique as compared to the state of the art. It provides the possibility of adjusting, concomitantly, the characteristics relative to the transmission of forces and relative to safety, as well as the characteristics relative to the perception of sensations, proprioceptive properties and comfort.